F17 recalcitrant X server

[Beartooth]

On Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:03:09 -0700, Joe Zeff wrote:

> You need to change to a different TTY first, then log in.  

	Hmmm... TTY is one of those things I've often seen and never 
really understood. Wikipedia has a great long article, which I'll try to 
get around to. 

	Meanwhile, a fact I haven't mentioned. The problem machine is one 
of four behind a KVM switch.

> Do you mean
> that you can't get to a login prompt, or that you can't log in once you
> do?  (I'm not nitpicking here; I may not know how to fix this, but I do
> know that the two possibilities probably imply different things.)

	Don't worry about being picky; I began life as a mathematician 
(B.A., 1961), though I changed fields radically soon after.

	When I switch the peripherals to another PC, or use a tablet 
cabled to the same (my only) router, I can ssh -Y; but I don't really 
know anything about using that -Y.

	When I switch the peripherals to the problem machine, I get 
almost normal-looking displays till I grab the mouse. Then fine white 
lines run all across, horizontally; after a moment, the lines increase, 
so that the display is useless unless you recognize what is behind the 
veil.

	After I log in, the veil gets so thick that I can just perceive a 
gray band across the top, and the rest of the screen blue. But the mouse 
cursor is plain and moves well.

	Ctrl-Alt-Backspace does nothing afaict, but Ctrl-Alt-Delete does 
make it reboot.

	On another PC behind the same (and only) KVM switch, and also on 
the tablet, I get :

[btth at Hbsk ~]$ startx
xauth:  file /home/btth/.serverauth.1661 does not exist


X.Org X Server 1.13.3
Release Date: 2013-03-07
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
Build Operating System:  2.6.32-358.2.1.el6.x86_64 
Current Operating System: Linux Hbsk.localdomain 3.8.9-200.fc18.i686.PAE 
#1 SMP Fri Apr 26 13:01:35 UTC 2013 i686
Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-3.8.9-200.fc18.i686.PAE root=/
dev/mapper/vg_hbsk-lv_root ro rd.md=0 rd.dm=0 rd.lvm.lv=vg_hbsk/lv_swap 
SYSFONT=True KEYTABLE=us rd.lvm.lv=vg_hbsk/lv_root rd.luks=0 
LANG=en_US.UTF-8 rhgb quiet
Build Date: 17 April 2013  04:49:59AM
Build ID: xorg-x11-server 1.13.3-3.fc18 
Current version of pixman: 0.28.0
	Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
	to make sure that you have the latest version.
Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
	(++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
	(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.1.log", Time: Fri May  3 11:52:24 2013
(==) Using config directory: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d"
(==) Using system config directory "/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"
setversion 1.4 failed
Initializing built-in extension Generic Event Extension
Initializing built-in extension SHAPE
Initializing built-in extension MIT-SHM
Initializing built-in extension XInputExtension
Initializing built-in extension XTEST
Initializing built-in extension BIG-REQUESTS
Initializing built-in extension SYNC
Initializing built-in extension XKEYBOARD
Initializing built-in extension XC-MISC
Initializing built-in extension XINERAMA
Initializing built-in extension XFIXES
Initializing built-in extension RENDER
Initializing built-in extension RANDR
Initializing built-in extension COMPOSITE
Initializing built-in extension DAMAGE
Initializing built-in extension MIT-SCREEN-SAVER
Initializing built-in extension DOUBLE-BUFFER
Initializing built-in extension RECORD
Initializing built-in extension DPMS
Initializing built-in extension X-Resource
Initializing built-in extension XVideo
Initializing built-in extension XVideo-MotionCompensation
Initializing built-in extension SELinux
Initializing built-in extension XFree86-VidModeExtension
Initializing built-in extension XFree86-DGA
Initializing built-in extension XFree86-DRI
Initializing built-in extension DRI2
Loading extension GLX

Fatal server error:
no screens found
(EE) 
Please consult the Fedora Project support 
	 at http://wiki.x.org
 for help. 
(EE) Please also check the log file at "/var/log/Xorg.1.log" for 
additional information.
(EE) 
Server terminated with error (1). Closing log file.
xinit: giving up
xinit: unable to connect to X server: Connection refused
xinit: server error
[btth at Hbsk ~]$

	I hope that contains something diagnostic.

-- 
Beartooth Staffwright, Neo-Redneck Not Quite Clueless Power User
Remember I have precious (very precious!) little idea where up is.